Top 10 executive chefs in the Middle East
The top 10 executive chefs forms part of Caterer Middle East's inaugural round-up of the top 50 F&B professionals, a celebration of the most influential people in the region; the ones who, in the last year, have been stamping their mark on the Middle East’s culinary landscape.
It’s about people, rather than companies, who are driving standards, pushing innovation and implementing best practices, taking the Middle East to new culinary heights.
We’ve taken into consideration the impact of their work on F&B operations and standards, judged on: size, scale, innovation and longevity; how committed they are to industry issues and events; how highly regarded they are in the industry and among their peers; and how they are having a positive influence on the next generation.
With so many heroes to celebrate in this exciting sector, and their talents and contributions so diverse, we have split the round-up into five categories: brand champions; executive chefs; culinarians; industry gurus and development leaders.
Each group of people have been creating excitement, implementing new ideas and strategies, new concepts and ways of thinking, but in very different ways.
The brand champions are a collection of innovative thinkers who have worked hard to develop a homegrown brand, or made a highly regarded international brand succeed in the Middle East. They are dedicated, passionate individuals who, while bringing something new to the region, have excited diners and pushed standards.
Our recognised executive chefs are meticulous managers and inspiring leaders. Looking after large teams with diverse needs and managing complex operations, they are making sure the F&B offerings of corporations remain cutting edge and are of world-class quality.
The culinarians are our chefs who are pushing the boundaries of cuisine. They are inspiring, talented artists whose restaurants are award-winning and have sought-after seats. Their avant-garde menus are the talk of diners across the region, and their restaurant concepts are shaping the region’s eating experience.
Our fourth category, the industry gurus, is full of revered individuals. Passionate about food as well as the region, they have been waving the flag for the Middle East’s culinary scene for years, making sure it is celebrated and talked about across the world. They have shown commitment to the industry and have inspired the next generation, as well as their peers.
Last, but not least, our development leaders are astute business men and women. The huge scale of their operations are making waves in the region, but not only that, they are dedicated to quality and to raising the bar of their corporations’ offerings.
The round-up has been put together by the team of hospitality experts at Caterer Middle East and is subjective. It includes personalities from the restaurant industry, from casual to fine dining, but not QSR.
We hope it will excite, inspire and start debate, and we welcome your thoughts and feedback.
1 Christian Gradnitzer,
Resort executive chef at Madinat Jumeirah
Flying the flag for Jumeirah’s culinary scene is Christian Gradnitzer, the resort executive chef who first joined the group in 2000 as junior sous chef at the Burj Al Arab.
Since then he has steadily climbed the ranks, working in properties including Jumeirah Essex House in New York, and Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai. Today he oversees more than 40 restaurants and a team of more than 400 chefs at Al Qasr Hotel and Mina A’ Salam at Souk Madinat Jumeirah.
The Austrian national has previously handled catering for thousands of guests, at high-profile events such as the Dubai World Cup, Dubai Air show, and various corporate galas.
More recently he led an 11-strong Jumeirah team to success at Hotelympia in London, raising the international culinary reputation of the hotel group.
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2 Mark Patten, Vice president of culinary,
Atlantis, The Palm Dubai
At the sprawling Atlantis resort, F&B is a top priority – serving a mass of in-house guests and visitors to the spectacular property each day.
As such, Mark Patten is responsible for a team of more than 400 chefs. He manages 18 major restaurant and numerous smaller outlets across the resort, including offerings from world-class chefs Nobu, Giorgio Locatelli, and Michel Rostang.
Patten also handles product sourcing, dealing with suppliers to ensure restaurants are able to meet the demands of the average 15,000 covers they serve each day.
That’s no small task, when one considers the specific requirements of three world-renowned chefs – varying from fresh Italian produce for Giorgio Locatelli to authentic seafood from Japan for Nobu.
Patten’s previous experience includes three years at the Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore, where he served as area executive chef for South East Asia.
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3 Harald Oberender, Director of kitchens,
Dubai World Trade Centre
Harald Oberender has criss-crossed the globe on his way to becoming renowned in the industry for his takes on Italian, French, Mexican and African cuisines in international fine dining setting.
Before moving across to the UAE via locations such as South Africa, Bermuda, Ethiopia, the US and the UK, where he was executive chef at Hilton properties, he graduated from hotel school in Kassel, in his native Germany.
In his current role Oberender manages a team of almost 150 chefs, and heads project planning for Dubai World Trade Centre outlets, helping to develop everything from concepts to menus.
In the past six months alone, he has helped execute the Dubai Peace Convention, which saw 150,000 people congregate in the emirate across three days. For five years in a row, from 2007, he also guided his team in Salon Culinaire, where DWTC walked away with the highest honours of any organisation.
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4 John Cordeaux, Executive chef,
Fairmont Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
With a career spanning over 25 years, and encompassing some of the world’s most impressive kitchens, John Cordeaux has brought all his experience to bear in the F&B offerings at Fairmont Palm Jumeirah.
And it’s paid off: in his former role as executive chef at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Cordeaux’s success saw him earn the ‘Chef of the Year’ award from Hotelier Middle East magazine.
He’s now moved on to the hotel brand’s newest top-end UAE project: heading up culinary operations across the soon-to-debut Palm Jumeirah property.
Even though it’s a role that is set to keep his hands full, it hasn’t stopped Cordeaux
from his commitment to training the next generation of chefs, something he is fiercely passionate about and dedicates 60% of every day to.
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5 Brendan McGowen, Executive chef,
St. Regis Doha
Looking after 100 employees to make sure the luxury F&B offerings at St. Regis Doha – which is soon to include two new restaurants from Gordon Ramsay and the third Hakkasan in the region – run seamlessly is just a part of McGowen’s role.
He makes sure banqueting and private dining functions are immaculately executed and works tirelessly to introduce regional twists to his restaurants’ traditional cuisine.
He has been working his way around the region since 1998, with stints as executive chef in Dubai, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, plus roles as executive sous chef in Jordan and Turkey. He is committed to using the finest quality produce and draws on his experience of working at the highly acclaimed Californian La Folie restaurant and the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.
Hailing from the North East coast of Dublin, he has an appreciation for fresh seafood embedded in his DNA and he admits simple dishes that let the product speak for itself are usually on this dinner table at home.
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6 Matthew Cropp, Executive chef,
Rosewood Al Faisaliah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Having joined the hotel just as the Al Faisaliah Globe Summit kicked off in 2012, Cropp immediately got a taste of the high international standards expected of him.
He set to work implementing schemes to reduce food waste, kick starting green initiatives and tying up with national suppliers.
As well as managing a kitchen team of 156 and overseeing 13 outlets over three different hotels in one complex, he is already putting plans in motion for the Al Faisaliah Globe Summit 2013 in February 13 – selecting chefs and organising logistics.
He is also heavily involved in new concept developments for three of the restaurants, and potential renovation plans of another. Not only that, he has been called upon to develop restaurant ideas for future Rosewood hotels that are in the pipeline.
Originally hailing from Australia, his career has taken him from five-star to five-star in China, Japan, Korea and beyond.
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7 Lloyd Carter, Executive development chef,
Jumeirah Restaurants
At the ever-growing institution that is Jumeirah Restaurants, Carter overseas recipe and menu development across renowned brands, The Noodle House, Urbano, Rivington Grill and The Ivy.
It is the The Noodle House that is Carter’s true passion and he makes regular trips to South East Asia to ensure he is one step ahead of new trends and ingredients, helping turn the brand into one of the UAE’s greatest business successes.
The British national originally studied practical catering in the UK before going on to take an apprenticeship in the South of France.
In 2008 Carter relocated to Dubai, joining Alshaya LLC as production manager, overseeing a team of 80 at the franchise giant.
He cites a career highlight as spending two years travelling with the Jaguar F1 Racing Team.
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8 Roy Soundranayagam, Executive chef,
FoodFund International
In 2007 Soundranayagam joined Foodfund in the UAE as executive chef for the Middle East, South Africa and London, responsible for back-of-house management, cost management, training and development.
Working across The Meat Company, Ribs and Rumps and Tribes in the Middle East, he is instrumental in innovating menus of these well-loved brands. He is respected for keeping a keen eye on cultures and trends in each operational region, and has demonstrated acute ability to keep each restaurant brand-specific and targeted to its specific market.
Directly working with nine chefs in 12 stores, he is also overseeing two new brands under development.
Soundranayagam has had a diverse career in the food industry, which has seen the Australian national spend seven years on oil tankers in Saudi Arabia. Following his off-land adventures, he worked in roles such as chef de parti with Fairmont, and executive chef at Jordan’s in Darling Harbour, Sydney.
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9 Stephane Buccholzer, Executive chef,
The Westin Dubai, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
After studying in England and gaining Michelin experience in his home country, France, Buccholzer secured a position at the world famous two-star Michelin restaurant, Jean Shillinger, with top chef Jean-Yves Shillinger. He was then asked to join the chef in the United States, where he contributed to the opening of Shillinger’s first New York restaurant, Destinee.
Relocating next to Dubai, Stephane brought his innovative gastronomic style and futuristic vision to Tang restaurant in Le Meridien Mina Seyahi – a contemporary Japanese and French fusion dining experience.
Now, heading up the F&B team at this busy complex, Buccholzer is in charge of a team of 150 and oversees 10 outlets.
Not only that, he is a regular face at industry events and his intelligent ideas and innovative thinking makes him a figure well respected by his peers. He’s even enjoyed sharing his views on Dubai One TV and Bloomberg TV.
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10 Christophe Prud’homme, Executive chef,
Al Bustan Rotana
Christophe Prud’homme has enjoyed nearly 25 years in the F&B industry – and has become a well-know and highly respected member of the Emirates’ culinary community.
Born in Normandy, France, his passion for food was evident from a young age – as he worked his way up the ranks of some of the nation’s top dining establishments, before travelling around the world honing his culinary expertise.
Prud’homme’s vast experience includes roles with the Marriot Hotel in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt; Scott’s Restaurant and highly revered The Dorchester Hotel in London; and Le Pré Catelan Restaurant in Paris.
But now Prud’homme has been happily ensconced at the Al Bustan Rotana Dubai for four-and-a-half years, where he’s proceeded to take the property’s restaurant portfolio from strength to strength.
Past achievements include recognition as a Maître Cuisinier de France in 2010, and in the same year winning the title Chef of the Year at the Caterer Middle East Awards.
Prud’homme is passionate about the industry and you’ll regularly find him airing his respected views in the UAE’s media.